The Turing Foundation aims at the elimination of the disfiguring disease leprosy.
Therefore, the Turing Foundation contributes to:
- recovery programs for leprosy patients;
- scientific research in the area of diagnostics and treatment of leprosy.
Leprosy is a cruel, disfiguring disease which strikes almost exclusively the poorest of the poor (to such extent that people in richer countries are unaware that the disease still exists). Its victims hardly ever die as a result of it, but leprosy often leads to amputation of hands or feet or loss of sight. Leprosy has an incubation period of many years. A main challenge is to detect the disease in an early stage and to treat it before nerve damages have become irreparable.
More information on submitting applications can be found in our
application procedures.
Below, you will find an overview of the most important initiatives that we have previously supported.
| Meest recente projecten (May 2008): |
May 2008 |
Field Projects Leprosy Control in Cambodia
The Leprosy Foundation works together with the CIOMAL organisation on Leprosy control in Cambodia. The quality of diagnostics is a
meer...
|
May 2008 |
Field Projects Leprosy Control in Laos
In Laos leprosy occurs mostly among minorities that are hard to reach. Mutilations are often severe and irreparable if the
meer...
|
|
 |
LUMC research "Immunopathology of leprosy: dissecting mechanisms of immune-mediated tissue damage in leprosy, and identification of new targets for intervention"
Leprosy is a contagious disease, caused by infection with a bacterium. This bacterium has a great affinity for,
amongst others, Schwann cells - cells that form a protective layer around peripheral nerves. A team of the
Leiden University Medical Centre
conducts scientific research in order to gain a deeper insight into the processes that can lead to damages to Schwann cells and nerves – and to the related lifetime handicaps.
For some time now, an effective antibiotics cocktail treatment of the infection is possible. Some patients however show strong immune reactions to this treatment, which then still lead to irreparable nerve damages.
It is assumed that a leprosy bacterium within a Schwann cell is sometimes destroyed, and that small fragments (peptides) of this bacterium are presented by the Schwann cell to T-cells (defence cells). In certain circumstances, these T-lymphocytes can damage or even kill the Schwann cell. It is possible that this is one of the mechanisms involved in causing nerve damages as a result of leprosy. The LUMC-researchers think – on the basis of models originating from research on mice – that certain types of T-cells are important links in the process, but their exact nature and operations are as yet insufficiently known. The research focuses on thrashing out these immuno-pathological mechanisms, in hopes that the results can be used to develop new strategies for forecasting, tracing and preventing nerve damages as a result of leprosy.
De Turing Foundation will contribute € 337,500 to this research in the coming years.
See also:
Meer geld voor lepra onderzoek (Leprastichting)
Leprosy Research - Role of Newly Defined T-Cells
|
|
Recovery Programs for Leprosy Patients
|
|
 |
Field Projects Leprosy Control in Cambodia
The Leprosy Foundation works together with the CIOMAL organisation on Leprosy control in Cambodia. There the Leprosy Foundation focuses primarily on improving the quality of diagnostics, treatment, technical supervision and program management.
In 2008 the Turing Foundation contributes € 50,000 to the field programs of the Leprosy Foundation in Cambodia.
Leprosy patients in the Kien Klean revalidation centre in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
|
|
Veldprojecten Leprabestrijding in Laos
In the Lao People’s Democratic Republic leprosy mainly occurs among minorities that are often hard to reach. Contamination is usually discovered only in a late stage, when mutilations are already severe and irreparable. One of the things the Leprosy Foundation devotes itself to in Laos is better registration and medical guidance of leprosy patients, examination of people whom leprosy patients have been in contact with, and trainings and courses for local health workers.
In 2008 the Turing Foundation contributes € 50,000 to the activities of the Leprosy Foundation in Laos.
Leprosy Foundation, Laos, 2008
|
|
Projects to cure leprosy 2007
The Dutch Leprosy Foundation
invests all over the world in projects
that help diagnose and cure people who suffer from leprosy:
Angola, Bolivia, Brazil,
Cambodia, the Carribian, China,
Ethiopia, Gambia, India, Indonesia,
Laos, Madagascar, Myanmar, Nepal,
Nigeria, Surinam, Thailand, Vietnam and Zambia.
In 2007 the Turing Foundation contributes € 100.000,-
in supports of these projects.
Leprosy Foundation, Nigeria, 2007
|
|
The Dutch Leprosy Foundation
The Dutch Leprosy Foundation
has devoted itself for forty years to creating a world in which the permanent suffering, caused by leprosy, is no longer existent and is finally eradicated.
The Turing Foundation recognizes the dedication and the expertise of the Leprosy Foundation and saw such like-mindedness in their objectives that it decided to donate € 1.000.000,-.
See also:
Donatie van €1.000.000,- voor de Leprastichting (Fondenwerving)
1 miljoen aan Leprastichting (Filantropie en Bestuur)
Milou Halbesma presents € 1,000,000 to Kommer Braber, manager of the Leprosy Foundation
|
|
|
